There are a few different ways to get rid of mice as part of pest control solutions. The most popular way is traps or poisons, but they can be dangerous and harmful to children and pets. A more natural alternative is mouse repellents.
It would help if you took care of a mouse infestation quickly, as mice reproduce rapidly. A female mouse can produce 30-60 pups each year. Six of them can reproduce up to 80 in just 3 months!
So, an infestation can happen very quickly!
After making their home in an area, mice build nests to have their litter. These nests are often made of soft materials, such as clothing or blankets. They can also be found in attics, between walls and floorboards, in the car, etc.
Mothballs
Mothballs are substances used to repel mice by creating a toxic environment for them.
It is essential not to use mothballs containing paradichlorobenzene (PDB) because it's toxic when inhaled or ingested over time.
PDB is also very dangerous if accidentally mixed with water or other chemicals.
Camphor is a more natural alternative that has been shown to work just as well without being dangerous for children or pets.
Pyrethrin Spray
Pyrethrin is a natural plant extract that is very effective at repelling mice. These work similarly to mothballs, without worrying about pets or children getting sick. The main downside is they have a shorter life span than mothballs.
When choosing the right spray for you, make sure you select one with pyrethrins as an active ingredient.
Mouse Resistant Materials
Mice don't like shiny objects, so aluminum foil can drive them away. Stainless steel like in steel wool are also mice-deterrent. Use steel wool to close up holes where mice may have gnawed their way out.
This method is more of a short-term solution as it doesn't solve the problem entirely. Also, once these materials are gone, pests will come and invade your home again.
Mouse Traps
Not the most humane traps, but they are effective. When using mouse traps, it's important to remember not to place them where they are out of reach, especially children.
Mice are very clever. They can recognize that a trap is for them just by seeing something out of the ordinary in an area.
The two types of traps used are snap traps and live cage traps. Both types have pros and cons, so it's a matter of preference for which works best for you.
Snap traps may be messy to clean up, but they work quickly.
They also require less effort on your part to use them. Live cage traps don't impact the mouse once caught, but they cost more money than snap traps.
If you choose to use live traps as pest control solutions, you can release them into the wild. You can also exterminate or kill them without having your family witness the act.
Children and snap traps don't go well together. So if you have little ones, make sure they don't run around near where you place snap traps.
It's also important to remember not to touch a mouse caught in the snap. It may carry diseases and other health risks.
Once you trap a mouse, dispose of the mouse away far from your home.
Step 1: Find the mice nests by looking for feces, hairballs, etc. Mice tend to make their nests in dark, quiet areas like attics or basements. They like small undisturbed spaces.
Step 2: Cut a piece of cardboard that will fit under your door frame (so it goes under the door). Tape one end of the cardboard on each side of your doorway with packaging tape (non-toxic!).
This will prevent mice from getting inside your home through the door. Even better, put some grease on the cardboard to be slippery, and they won't want to cross it.
Step 3: If you see mouse droppings or nests in your home, block off the spaces in their path. You can use steel wool or a crumpled up chicken wire for this. This will keep them from crawling inside your walls and leaving their droppings behind as they travel.
Step 4: Set up one snap trap per room with mice activity (or as many as needed). Place them where they'll most likely try to get into your home again. Also be sure no gaps exist around any of those areas either before baiting them or after setting them up.
Note: make sure you don't use too much bait on the traps. This may attract other unwanted pests into your home. Also, avoid setting them up where children or pets can find and mess with them!
Step 5: Bait the snap trap. Put peanut butter (or another treat) right in the center of it. Then stick a toothpick through it so that it sticks out from under the trigger. When they reach for it, their paw will fall onto the trigger and pulled down onto the trap housing.
Most snap traps aren't strong enough to harm hold larger animals like squirrels when accidentally closing on them. They'll usually release before hurting them. Smaller mice generally won't be able to escape.
Step 6: After a few days, check and see if any traps caught any. If they have, dispose of them properly according to your regional laws. Be sure to reset the trap with a new piece of bait on it.
If not, either move or relocate the traps after nightfall or wait for a week before checking again. Sometimes just moving them around will spook out any remaining mice. So you don't have to worry about resetting them right away.
Step 7: Clean up dead bodies as soon as possible. You can use gloves or other protective wear if you do this part yourself. I recommend wearing a facial mask also.
Live cage traps for mice are perfect pest control solutions that is more humane as they don't kill. The best part is that they come in several designs, including ones that have an easy release door.
Step 1: Make sure the wires of the traps you buy are not too far spaced apart. If the gaps are too big, smaller mice can get in, steal your bait and out they go! at least one inch so mice can crawl through it freely. If you have a lot of mice, spread them around your home to catch as many as you can.
This way, they won't even bother coming inside anymore! But make sure you still check the traps every couple of days if using this method.
Step 2: Place a little bit of bait under one end of the trap according to what is mentioned above.
Step 3: Set this trap near a wall or space that mice run along. This doesn't take too long for the mouse to find the bait which is food to them!
Step 4: Be patient and check your traps regularly.
Place glue boards along the walls where mice notice them. This immediately traps them once they reach that area. Their little feet becomes stuck on the board and they are unable to escape! The glue on these boards should be sticky enough but not too strong to hurt them.
Step 1: Make sure it's in an area that people won't accidentally step or sit on top of them. Otherwise, you'll transfer the trap onto someone else and never actually catch any mice!
Step 3: Be patient and check your traps regularly. There's nothing worse than trapping the wrong animal into one of these things, so take your time when setting them up.
Many different stories throughout history have featured mice. This includes cartoons about the Old West, where they depict them as destructive creatures who are not worthy to earn our trust.
In some cases, people can blame mice for causing disasters by spreading disease through their droppings and body fluids. Society portrays them as a plague - we need to destroy them at any cost.
It's true that rodents can carry diseases, especially if they're going into or out of a food preparation area. In some cases they can be a threat to human life.
Using the methods suggested above, you can efficiently deal with them.
If you see a mouse running around your home – especially if it's just one or two of them instead of a large group – then this is probably indicative that your house is filthy and that no one has cleaned for a long time!
It may also mean that mice have been able to sneak into your living space through any number of small holes in furniture or walls. Now's as good a time as any to check for those and seal them shut.
This will stop them from coming back and allow you to clean your home thoroughly, so their droppings don't cause harm later on.
At Pest Control Niagara, ON, we can offer pest control solutions for rodents and other pests that may have invaded your home. Our pest technicians will not only get rid of these pesky pests but can also make your home more pest-proof in the future.
We provide free inspections and a plan for pest control solutions for new customers. We also offer receive discounts on our maintenance services plan.
We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, like Truly Nolen pest control, Alpine pest control, and other major service providers.